Shad sent a text saying, “Let’s do 100 things this weekend” I paused. “Sure, 100 things, why not?” *Imagine this phrase in a sing-song, high pitch, and sarcastic voice.

Then he purposed a unique plan…
Over the course of this week let’s get rid of 100 things.

Join us. Grab a garbage bag and make a donation box and hit the house hard. Don’t mull over this or that, just grab the random useless items that have become a permanent fixture in your house.

Get rid of things like old magazines, summer clothes that you never wore, fall clothes you still won’t fit in this year, kitchen gadgets that waste space, random keys & dead batteries from the junk drawer. Liberate yourself from that ugly candle your mother gave you that you are never going to burn. Give away that quilt your mother-in-law gave you guilt free to someone who needs it.

Don’t forget to include the kids in this adventure.

Toss things out like that truck with only three wheels, that McDonald’s Happy Meal toy (how do those things find their way in our homes anyhow?), that old National Geographic Kids magazine, and that half ripped art project. Donate things like Baby Einstein videos and any other infant toys your seven year old swears they still play with! Consider anything that has dust on it from inactivity.

The post you linked to is very inspiring and I love how you used that as inspiration to make a challenge to get rid of 100 things. I sometimes tell the children to choose 3 things each to give to goodwill or to throw out – somehow putting a figure on it makes it more achievable than telling them to throw out whatever they don’t want any more (which always seems to be nothing!).

Thanks for the nice note Ella. It is wonderful to hear that you are involving your kids in the process of de-cluttering your house. I think you are right. The key is to give them a defined number and then all of the control. It is their stuff after all! We did this with stuffed animals. First I asked, “What is a reasonable amount of stuffed animals for one child to have?” After they decided then we went through them until we got down to that number. {Seriously?} How do children end up with SO MANY stuffed animals?!?! Thanks again!

though truth to be told. If you have a candle….burn it. My in laws had that a bit kitschy but quite well crafted (beeswax) candle they had gotten from the most reviled aunt who they claimed all but ruined theri wedding. I don’t think it was a wedding gift, They told me all the way who this lady had mannaged to upset them (and the complaints were not unreasonable) and so they wanted to stick it back in to the abyss of the big closet, when I asked, them. Lock at this candle. It is an AGED beeswax candle with a molded surface which shows the streets of your hometown. Lets burn it. YOu don’t have to forgive her. you don’t even have to have charitable thoughts after all: You are BURNING her present. They did. The candle lasted for three evenings. and I have to tell you. I have not ever heard of Tante Gretchen ever again 😉

We had a wedding candle that sat forever. Now it is in our camping bin. It is weird to burn this beautiful hand decorated candle, but it is also wonderful. Plus as we are out camping we are remembering that special day. 🙂 Loved your story, thanks for sharing.

That was my exact thought about the quilt. As someone who handmakes things for people, part of me DIED inside when reading that! It is EXTREMELY expensive to even make a quilt, let alone the weeks (sometimes months) spent sewing it!

I agree totally! The candle smell, well, it just smells….bad. The quilt, doesn’t go with any of ur bedding, send it to a good home! The too small or too big clothes would be welcomed and appreciated by someone else! When we purge, everyone feels better, even the kids! No one needs as much junk as the average American has! Trash on!!

Our quilts are from Shad’s grandmother who has passed away. I checked-in with his mother and she did not want any of them back. You ladies crack me up. Are you suggesting I keep a closet full of bulky quilts simply because they were handmade?

I am a quilter and I admit I would *never* want anyone to “return” a quilt to me. Never ever. I would much rather my quilt (or Shad’s grandmother’s quilts) move forward to other homes where they might actually be USED. I do have quilts I’ve picked up at rummage sales and I love knowing someone put their heart into making it. Just because I don’t know them doesn’t make it any less special. I hope the people enjoying our quilts feel the same!

This is fantastic! Love it. Our church has Exchange Tables – or Bring and Take Tables whenever we have activities. We also are encouraged to clean out a certain area of the house once a month to bring. Keeps us motivated to get rid of the clutter!

In general I agree, but there comes a point where you are wasting someone else’s valuable time by donating a broken toy or a McD mini-item to Goodwill. I suppose I should say in our house “tossing” anything paper automatically = RECYCLE. 🙂 We’re on the same page friend!

“Toss things out like that truck with only three wheels, that McDonald’s Happy Meal toy (how do those things find their way in our homes anyhow?), that old National Geographic Kids magazine, and that half ripped art project.”

i hope that your recycling all the plastic and electronics. i might seem like a burden but if you donate it to most second hand store they properly depose of things including electronics, batteries, clothe, carpet, and plastics and metals. just to keep in mind

It’s so true! I had a hissy fit when we were trying to “book in” for dinner with friends. A month in advance? Sorry, I’m not booking a dinner with friends a month in advance. Nobody is that busy.I’d love to hear how the colleage sans agenda is coping, btw. I also reckon she’s back to the agenda!

no dont throw out the magazines, find page by page and tape them together along the seams making this as large as needed to create a very cool looking unique wrapping paper. For mothers day i did this with pictures of little girls, daisys, tea cups, moms and daughters, and all sides of her gift was wrapped with something special that reminded me of my mom and I. Also keeping magazines are good for school projects, cutting out words or thing about yourself that can be made into the assigned project by your school aged childs teacher.

No disrespect but only if you are really really organized or else those magazines will push you right out of your bedroom right down the hall and you will be featured on a TV show showcasing hoarders……and you won’t even be able to find the gifts you bought three years ago to give to mom on her seventieth birthday…..who does that? That would be me! lol

Last year for spring cleaning, we started spring elimination and we haven’t stopped yet, so I would love to Toss out 100 things to get rid of this weekend. The kids start spring break so it’s perfect timing. Thanks for the idea, I love it.

Wow, people sure find a lot to criticize in one little blog post! I, on the other hand, love this article and think it turns a daunting task into a goal that isn’t overwhelming yet still helps in our never ending quest to de-clutter. Thanks for the idea!

We have done this in my house for years. We call it the hundred things rule. Put a box in each room of the house and just start filling them. 100 things show up quickly when you do it by room and anything not broken gets donated to a charity for resale. When eBay and amazon came on the scene we had to add a few boxes for that. We always find something we thought was lost forever looking for things we no longer need.

Ran a cleaning business for years and many times I was hired to do nothing but clear the clutter because the owned had too much of a attachment to un-used items. Bless others with those treasures you no longer use. It is foolish to keep things just because someone gave them to you I think you’re doing a great job in these tips. They are right on the mark!

truly needed to purge….
3 truckloads to the dumpster
Donations for a garage sale to fund a LPGA golfer
Photo albums updated
Christmas decor refreshed
Tossed 60 vcr tapes
Created a space for grandchildren to place all the toys
Purged cookbooks to 10
Organized craft closet
Thank you for jump starting a much needed process

Thank you so much for the inspiration, The ONLY question I have, is, Has anyone happened to find a way (esp.. if other family members are recruited,>> mine WILL be!!) to keep a running, perhaps even fun running rally on the number of items that have been collected??

I’m so into purging right now. I do it during the week and then get projects on the house done on weekends. you know those small home improvements. like putting that little transition piece in the doorway to the bathroom so there’s no huge crack between the hardwood and the tile. or paint that small shelf I’ve been wanting to use. just those finishing touches that we never seem to bother with because it’s so minor. I love Christy’s idea of the running tally though. maybe make a chart on a white/chalk board and every time someone tosses garbage they get 1 check and 2 for donations. or put two space donate/garbage and each person puts their initial under the side as they put an item in that pile. tally it up for a winner. I just like the idea of 2 points for donate because it encourages the kids to give up items that are still of value to someone who really will use it.

A friend of a friend purged 2014 items from her home during the year 2014. Her friends loved this idea so they began a group, which I’m a part of to purge 2015 items during the year. So far I’ve done 279 items. My husband says I’m on a roll, and just be careful that the kids don’t end up in a pile. Hahaha.

He was one of the greats! And this video reminds me of one of my favorite things about soccer: how the men aren’t afraid to fondly stroke the back of each other’s Running their fingers through each other’s sweaty hair is just so intimate and I feel like soccer players and fans are evolved to a higher level where they don’t have much It really is special to